Britain joins call for UN to investigate alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka

David Cameron’s office says decision taken after Sri Lanka failed to conduct its own inquiry into civil war

Britain is to join the US and three other countries in pushing for a full international inquiry into alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka after the government there failed to satisfy international calls for a such an inquiry, Downing Street announced on Sunday.

Speaking last November at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Colombo, David Cameron gave Sri Lanka four months to conduct “a credible, thorough inquiry” into crimes alleged to have been committed during Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war.

The prime minister’s office said on Sunday that Sri Lanka had failed to do so and the UK had joined four other countries in tabling a motion at the UN human rights council. It supports the call by the UN high commissioner for human rights for an international, independent investigation into violations of human rights and related crimes by both sides during the war.